Improvement in track-clearers



O. BOPP. Track Clearer.

Patented March 19, 1878.

weiz/ifor NVPEIERS, F

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRIST. BOPP, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AN HENRYO. STONE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN TRACK-CLEARERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 201,492, dated March19, 1878; application filed January 2, 1878.

To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, C. BOPP, of Jersey City, in the county of Hudson andState of New Jersey, have invented a new and Improved Self-Adjustin gTrack-Clearer and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description of .the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which-Figure 1 is a side elevation of a. car provided with my track-clearingdevices. Fig. 2 is an end view of the, same.

My invention relates to devices whereby snow, dirt, ice, or otherobstacle found upon railway-tracks may be speedily and effectuallyremoved therefrom, and at the same time all liability of injury to thescraper or plow used for that purpose be avoided, as hereinaftermorefully set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents arailroad-track; W, thecar-wheels, and B a truck-frame. D represent lugs, one on each side ofthe bottom of'the truck-frame, having eyes or bearings for a rock-shaft,O, freely turning in said bearings, and extending across thetruck-frame, there being such rockshaft at each end of the car. To therockshaft 0 are attached, over each track, the shanks of the scrapers orplows I, by means of eyes or loops in the upper ends of said shanks,embracing or coiled around the rockshaft.

E represents a bolt passing immediately into the truck-frame, or bentrectangularly, and forming one piece with the lug D, and having an eyeor loop at its lower end for the reception of one end of the spiralspring F, the opposite end of which is attached to the scraper near itslower end.

By this construction thescraper, as the car is drawn along, removes ice,snow, or other obstacle on the track, the spiral spring attached nearthe lower end of the scraper allowing it to yield somewhat, yet holdingit from its point of application near the lower end of the scraperdirectly to its work, and at the same time allowing it to yield if someinsurmountable obstacle should be in the way.

for example, a raised rail.

I am aware that a shovel or plow having a spring-shank attached to thetruck of a car to keep a scraper or plow down on the track and allow itto yield has heretofore been employed, and I therefore lay no claim,broadly, to such invention, which differs from my construction in thatsuch spring-shaft is deficient in rigidity to lgeep the scraper down onthe track, and is liable to break, whereby a new scraper would have tobe substituted, whereas in my construction the scraper-shank iscomparatively rigid, and not liable to break, and if the spiral springshould break or lose its tension, another could readily be substitutedwithout requiring a new scraper or plow.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination, with the truck-frame B, provided with the lugs D,having eyes for the reception of the rock-shaft O, of the scrapers P,bolts E, having eyes at their lower ends, and spiral springs F, attachedto the eyebolts and near the lower ends of the scrapers, substantiallyas described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my name in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

. CHRIST. BOPP.

Witnessesr Aueusr HASSEY, EDwD. F. HAssEY.

